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Seminar - Climate change, human-induced disturbances and resilience of drylands

Changes in climate and human-induced disturbances often have adverse effects in drylands, which in combination with internal system feedbacks can often lead to the resilience of these systems being exceeded, leading to land degradation. In the first part of this seminar, Dr Turnbull will provide a synthesis of the research she has undertaken over recent years in the southwestern USA, focussing on ecogeomorphic and biogeochemical processes.

The findings of research from isolated case studies are not necessarily readily transferrable to other dryland regions of the world because changes in climate, human-induced disturbances and the historical trajectory of drylands are not spatially uniform. In the second part of this talk, Dr Turnbull will outline the research she will undertake during her fellowship, to determine how spatial variability in climate change and human-induced disturbances affect the structure, function and resilience of drylands, which will aid in identifying dryland regions that are most at risk of land degradation. Research approaches she will discuss include empirical analysis of long-term ecogeomorphic data sets for dryland regions world-wide, and development and application of ecogeomorphic modelling to carry out scenario-based analyses.

Contact brett.cherry@durham.ac.uk for more information about this event.

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